In the Office of the Readings today, Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the Saint himself reminds us that actions speak louder than words. Hence, “let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed the fig tree when he found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.”
The Saint further exhorts us to speak as the Spirit gave us the gift of speech. He says, “we should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner by keeping the commandments.”
My sisters trained me to invoke St. Anthony when I lose something. I found out today, though that this is just among his many “specializations.” In a website about the Saint, it is reported that his patronage is so widespread and extends to all these categories:
against shipwrecks; against starvation; American Indians; amputees; animals; asses; barrenness; domestic animals; elderly people; faith in the Blessed Sacrament; fishermen; harvests; horses; lost articles; lower animals; mail; mariners; oppressed people; paupers; poor people; pregnant women; sailors; seekers of lost articles; shipwrecks; swineherds; travel hostesses; travellers; watermen.
The Saint further exhorts us to speak as the Spirit gave us the gift of speech. He says, “we should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech. Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner by keeping the commandments.”
My sisters trained me to invoke St. Anthony when I lose something. I found out today, though that this is just among his many “specializations.” In a website about the Saint, it is reported that his patronage is so widespread and extends to all these categories:
against shipwrecks; against starvation; American Indians; amputees; animals; asses; barrenness; domestic animals; elderly people; faith in the Blessed Sacrament; fishermen; harvests; horses; lost articles; lower animals; mail; mariners; oppressed people; paupers; poor people; pregnant women; sailors; seekers of lost articles; shipwrecks; swineherds; travel hostesses; travellers; watermen.
